5 Things We Want to See in Ben Affleck’s The Batman

As the DCEU continues to unfold, we have been trying to put our collective caps together to help its progression with suggestions for what we want to see happen in upcoming superhero films.

Offering suggestions for The Flash movie;

What director we want for Man of Steel 2;

What characters we want to see in a Suicide Squad sequel.

Of course there is the biggest fish of them all: Ben Affleck’s upcoming Batman solo movie.

Batman is the most successful DC comics superhero on the big screen, and after the milestone that was Chris Nolan’s Dark Knight Trilogy, bringing the Batman movie franchise back to the big screen has been a tricky proposition.

Luckily, seeing Affleck provide a stellar version of Batman/Bruce Wayne in Batman v Superman — and what little we saw of him in the Justice League trailer — has gone a long way to convincing fans that the actor can do something special as the director and star of the Batman DCEU solo movie, which is tentatively titled The Batman.

And to help Mr. Batfleck along (while indulging our own desires), here 5 Things We Want to See in The Batman.

A Detective Story

Some fans may argue that The Dark Knight was a crime thriller story that involved Batman investigating a anarchist terrorist (Joker) – and that’s true – but it wasn’t really a mystery story in the truest sense. 

Batman has long been called “The World’s Greatest Detective,” and there are a lot of fans that really want to see that concept played out as the basis of a Batman movie, not just a minor feature of the character’s process. 

Of the many rumors swirling around the storyline for Affleck’s Batman movie, there’s one consistent thread that seems to give us hope: it sounds like it could be a Noir-ish detective movie with superhero elements.

Given Affleck’s track record with films like Gone Baby Gone, The Town and Argo, he is a perfect director to do a Batman detective story justice – from the inside, out. 

More of that Badass Batman Action

When Batman v Superman got Batman right – it really got Batman right.

There were highlight moments from Ben Affleck in both the Bruce Wayne and Batman personas, but the shining star was no doubt the Batman warehouse fight sequence against Lex Luthor’s henchman Anatoli Knyazev and his mercenary goons… 

… and we need to see more of that. 

Zack Snyder and Co. already set a high bar to meet, and Affleck has proven he can make some high-octane action scenes of his own. With rumors circulating that this Batman solo film could feature characters like Will Smith as Deadshot, Jared Leto getting a second chance with Joker, and/or Deathstroke, we expect to see some pretty mind-blowing Batman action on the screen.

TIP: it’s mandatory that Batman quickly establish his battle prowess in this new metahuman world. An opening sequence that sees Batman taking down a bad guy with formidable super powers would go a long way to doing just that. 

More Bat-Family Supporting Characters

Batman v Superman introduced us to the DCEU Batman during a weird point in his life. Taking inspiration from Frank Miller’s The Dark Knight Returns storyline, Affleck’s Batman was seemingly retired from service; his house was (literally and figuratively) in ruins; he seemed to drift through his days stewing, drinking, screwing and (if you watched the naughty Ultimate Edition) pill-popping; and beyond Alfred, he doesn’t seem to have very many friends left. 

However, there were clear Easter eggs in both Batman v Superman and Suicide Squad that hinted at a much bigger world around Batman, and since this will be the first Batman film to play in a full DC universe sandbox, we want to see the wider breadth of Batman’s world represented onscreen. 

We know Jason Todd (Red Hood?) once existed, canon would then suggest that Dick Grayson came before him as Robin.

We know we’ll catch up with Commissioner Gordon (J.K. Simmons) in Justice League; at his age, it’s a safe bet that Barbara Gordon is running around somewhere (one of several candidates for a Batgirl/Batwoman appearance).

The list of Bat-allies is extensive, and pretty well known. We’re looking to the future, and Batman is the master of what could be his own sub-universe within the DCEU. Time to meet more of his friends.  

A New Villain

We’re totally cool with seeing any number of Batman villains that we’ve already met making an appearance in Ben Affleck’s Batman movie – but honestly, it’s time for some new blood as well. 

Red Hood, Hush, or so many the other Batman villains; we need to see someone (or someones) that we’ve never seen onscreen before.

There are so many great picks to choose from (you probably have a list of favorites), so let’s dip deeper into that rogue’s gallery and come up with something fresh.

Strong Crossover… But Not Too Much

This is going to be a Batman movie set in the DCEU, so naturally we want to see some crossover connections to other elements or characters from around the DCEU.

However, both Batman v Superman and Suicide Squad got a bit too heavy-handed with the crossover references – and we don’t want that to happen again in Affleck’s film.

After all, this will be a Batman story, and that’s plenty good enough…

Man of Steel set the stage for Batman v Superman’s Supes/Bats/Lex triangle through nothing more than shots of superpowered property damage. There’s a way to keep crossover references subtle, or any cameos fun (more Batman and Wonder Woman flirtation, anyone?) without distracting from the focus of delivering that really great, action-packed, Batman detective story featuring a new villain. 

…Everyone has their own fantasy scenario for a new Batman movie – what’s yours? Let me know and let’s discuss in the comments or @kofioutlaw

NEXT: 5 Great Stories for Ben Affleck’s Batman Movie

Suicide Squad is now in theaters; Wonder Woman is coming on June 2, 2017; followed by Justice League on November 17, 2017; The Flash on March 16, 2018; Aquaman on July 27, 2018; Shazam on April 5, 2019; Justice League 2 on June 14, 2019; Cyborg on April 3, 2020; and Green Lantern Corps on July 24, 2020.